Written in the forest outside of Tarnow, Poland
We give toy cars and Spongebob Squarepants
to ant hills, weeds, and children's bones
The Spirit in the wind says "Thank You"
The children in their grave say nothing
We look for them through the dirt
They look at us from above
This is a park built around a mass grave
Not the other way around
The grave came first
Auschwitz smells like cotton candy
A shop outside the gate sells sweets
Metal detectors and Arbeit Macht Frei
Voices in my ear from a multi lingual receiver
A college campus with classes like
Death and Torture 101 and The Art of Starvation
A graduate tells us his story
I think to myself
"This is a degree I never want to have"
Oh Oh Oh
Let Yourself Go
Oh Oh Oh
Into The Unknown
Sitting on the plane in Atlanta airport about to take off I have the strongest feeling of adventure I’ve had in quite awhile. I have a backpack with 5 days worth of clothes, my laptop, and my travel guitar. No checked bags of me.
I’ll be gone for 4 weeks. Poland, Israel, Switzerland,and New York City. Who will I meet? What will I see? What will I learn? How much music will there be?
I have travelled a fair amount recently. The adventurer spirit runs deep in my veins. “Whatever happens, happens” as they say (whoever “they” are). It’s a motto of embracing opportunity and allowing amazing experiences to take place. I am luck and feel deep gratitude to be able to fly and drive around the world playing music and connecting with all sorts of people.
Sometimes I imagine what it would be like to fly in an airplane for the first time, or to try and communicate in a foreign language for the first time, or to simply go on a far away journey for the first time. But you know what, every time feels like the first time. It is always a new experience and I wouldn’t have it any other way!
Upward, outward, onward, and forward my friends. Fly with me.
We Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For. The album is finished! I can't wait to share this music with the world. Keep an eye out for the release of my first single. Until then I will be traveling.
Currently I am in the north Georgia mountains celebrating Passover. Jews across the world remember the story of slavery and oppression from ancient Egypt. We do this at a large communal meal called a seder and invite family, friends, and strangers to come and break bread together (and there is most likely delicious brisket involved!).
It takes experiences like a Passover Seder to bring peace and love to this world. We Are The Ones We've Been Waiting For. Only WE can spread love and peace, sitting around a table, engaging in meaningful conversation, drinking wine, and learning that we are all not so different. We are one. Every human on this earth. Nobody should be enslaved, mentally or physically. That is what the Passover Seder means to me.
Next week I am off to Poland on a trip called the March of the Living. We will be walking through Nazi death camps. We will be singing songs of freedom, sadness, and hope.
Early morning is an elusive and mysterious time. The light outside is different. It smells fresh. Coffee and the first rays of sunshine. Stretch out the muscles and get a head start on the day.
Today: Green Shake
kale, celery, parsley, lemon, apple, ginger
Soundtrack: Trevor Hall - Chapter of the Forest
Schedule: Comcast Internet setup (the worst experience in terms of first world issues)
Morning, goodbye for
now.
On Feb 9th I will be sitting on stage with a group of fellow Jewish musicians and songwriters. I have known most of them for a number of years now and we have all watched each other grow, supporting each other along the way, and savoring every chance we have to be in the same room together. We are all at different stages in our careers and our lives. We are all following our dreams.
Creating an album of music is like gathering sticks for a fire. Producers, musicians, artists, publishers, digital marketplaces, BPM, song key, engineers, new drum heads, broken wah-wah pedals, budget, vision. Without all of those sticks there is no fire.
Also, the team is amazing! Truly talented musicians and visionaries for the album. So excited.
So far check out some of the kindling: https://www.facebook.com/sammyrosenbaum1?pnref=story
I just finished reading a book called "Ishmael" by Dan Quinn. It is about a talking gorilla who bestows knowledge upon his students. Funky premise I know. Anyways, He proposes the idea that we are living in a "Taker" culture and are on a serious path for destruction. We use fuel, food, and water as if it will never run out, scraping the earth as if it is ours to rule. Then, there is the "Leaver" culture. Those who still live in harmony with the earth are part of it. Ancient tribes who dwell in the rainforest or on the plains of Africa. They understand that Humans are not the end of evolution. We may be the first to manipulate our world in such a drastic manner, but we may not be the last. "Leaver" people only grow enough food to sustain themselves and eat what they can find. If they are craving roast duck, they don't drive to a concrete structure that takes up half a block, wade through isles of processed garbage, and pick out a nice duck from the counter selection. They have to track and hunt one in the wild. If they don't happen upon a duck, they would be perfectly content happening upon whatever the universe brings. The difference between the "Takers" and "Leavers" is how they view the universe. The former believes humans were put here to rule and be the masters. The latter believes that we are in the hands of God. It is not up to us. We are just one iteration of the divine. Just like the birds and the buffalo. Imagine what the world would be like today if our culture taught the philosophy of the "Leavers".
I am homeless. There is no address I can call my own. It has been just over a month. The gratitude I have for my friends and their generosity is enormous. They say surround yourself with the right people. Well, I take that advice seriously. My friends have not only shared their homes with me, but have shared wisdom and knowledge that so positively encourages and helps me along the way. Whenever there is the opportunity I will be reciprocating all of the good karma that my friends have bestowed upon me.
Exhaustion leads to a burst of creative energy. My tired mind races from thought to thought with a surprisingly fine filter. Sifting through the mix I find four words: wheel, ground, fluid, and thanks. As the wheels of life turn I feel grounded in a fluid state of gratitude.
Last week I got to spend time talking music and spirituality with a humble rabbi. We spoke about the nature of music in reaching higher levels of prayer and connecting to G-d. Playing music is one of the most direct ways to express gratitude. It is how I say thank you to the universe for all of its blessings. The universal language of music sends powerful vibrations. This is why we sing during prayer. The tongue is the pen of the heart.
Every morning when I wake up I grab my guitar. I step outside on my balcony, take a deep breath and strum a chord 5 times. I listen to the music fade out as the sounds of the city fade in. The cars whizzing by, the birds singing, the construction down the street. I repeat the process. This time trying a new chord. This continues until I find the key of my day. Today it was E major. Auditory meditation. It is time to start my day.